Ebola: Reps ask FG to release outstanding health funds, mobilise public, private sectors

The House of Representatives on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to urgently release all outstanding appropriated funds to relevant health agencies to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for and response to Ebola virus disease.

The House said the release of the funds would enable the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to effectively discharge their responsibilities in containing the spread of the potentially fatal disease across the country.

It also urged the Federal Government to immediately mobilise relevant private, state and federal health agencies and place them on high alert to prevent further transmission and ensure a coordinated response to the reported case.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance titled ‘Urgent Need to Strengthen Preventive and Emergency Medical Measures Against the Spread of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria’, sponsored by Hon. Amobi Ogah.

Leading the debate, Ogah described Ebola as a severe and potentially fatal infectious disease that requires prompt detection, effective infection prevention and control measures, and coordinated public health interventions to prevent transmission and save lives.

The lawmaker expressed concern over a report released on 20 October 2026 indicating that a woman who arrived in Abuja from Uganda had tested positive for Ebola virus disease.

He warned that the reported case required immediate attention from the relevant authorities to prevent a possible outbreak, stressing that delays in identifying suspected cases, conducting laboratory investigations and isolating confirmed cases could increase the risk of transmission.

Ogah warned that “any delay in identifying suspected cases, conducting appropriate laboratory investigations, isolating confirmed cases, tracing contacts, or providing timely medical care could increase the risk of transmission and place additional pressure on the country’s healthcare system”.

While acknowledging that health authorities had traced 44 contacts of the reported case for isolation and further testing, he stressed the need for sustained surveillance and effective contact-tracing measures to prevent further spread of the disease.

Ogah also expressed concern that inadequate public awareness, shortages of infection prevention and control supplies, gaps in healthcare workers’ preparedness and limited emergency response capacity could undermine efforts to contain the virus.

“The House is further concerned that inadequate public awareness, insufficient infection prevention and control supplies, gaps in healthcare workers’ preparedness, and limited emergency response capacity could undermine efforts to prevent and contain the Ebola outbreak,” the motion stated.

To address these concerns, the lawmakers called on the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance, to urgently release all outstanding appropriated funds to relevant health agencies to enable them to respond effectively to the situation.

The House further urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the NCDC to immediately assess the additional resources required to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capacity, in line with current epidemiological evidence and public health guidance.

It also emphasised the critical roles of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, state ministries of health, port health authorities and other relevant stakeholders in strengthening national epidemic preparedness and response.

The lawmakers underscored the importance of collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other regional and international public health institutions to ensure that Nigeria’s preventive and response measures are guided by current scientific evidence and international health regulations.

Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on Infectious Diseases to engage relevant ministries, departments, agencies and public health institutions to obtain updates on Nigeria’s Ebola situation and preparedness and response measures, and report back to the House for further legislative action.